Sexual disorders listed as contradictions to driving in Russia

Russia’s new road safety rules have expanded the list of medical conditions preventing people from get a driving license to include sexual disorders, which covers all transgender people, bi-gender, asexuals, transvestites, cross dressers and others.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on December 29
last year, which came into effect on January 6, 2015.

The document has been adopted in the framework of the state’s
road traffic safety program, which is aimed at reducing the
number of deaths on Russian roads.

The decree mentions a number of “disorders of adult
personality and behavior” from the International
Classification of Diseases and Related Health (ICD-10) to be
among the contradictions to driving.

However, ICD-10 especially stresses that sexual orientation by
itself isn’t considered a personality disorder.

“Sexual disorders” may be an obstacle to driving a car
if they take "chronic and prolonged” form with
“severe or persistent painful symptoms,” the decree
said.

Schizophrenia, mood disorders, mental retardation, epilepsy,
substance use disorder and visual impairment are also included in
the document as contradictions to getting behind the wheel.

People shorter than 150 centimeters were also included on the
list as well those who suffer from "pathological"
gambling and kleptomania.

The member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, Elena
Mayuk, criticized the decree, saying there was “a possible
injustice in restricting the right to operate a vehicle to
persons suffering from disorders of gender identity and sexual
preference.”

Masyuk believes that “international legal practice of such
restrictions should be examined to determine if the ban is
justified,” the Council’s website said.